Last night, NBC burned off the final two episodes of Prime Suspect. The TV series has been ratings-challenged right from the start and, in November, NBC acknowledged that they wouldn’t be ordering any installments beyond the initial 13 episode order. The official word was that they would re-evaluate once all of the episodes had aired but everyone knew that it was really being cancelled.
If there was even a glimmer of hope that Prime Suspect might see a second season, the ratings for the final episodes didn’t help. Prime Suspect’s numbers continued to dwindle in the latter part of 2011. Last night, following a month hiatus, the finale registered a new series low.
Prime Suspect has been all but officially cancelled by NBC and its replacement, The Firm, is doing even worse. Last Thursday’s episode registered a 0.9 rating for its fourth episode. It took Prime Suspect 10 weeks to drop that low. Fortunately for fans of The Firm, NBC purchased 22 episodes up front. It remains to be seen if they’ll all air.
At the recent TCA press tour, NBC execs noted that, had Prime Suspect been on a premium cable channel like Showtime, it would have been declared a hit and would have been quickly renewed. Maybe but we’ll never know.
What do you think? Are you sorry that this was the end of Prime Suspect? Why do you think it didn’t catch on? Would it have been a hit on HBO or Showtime or even on a basic cable station like TNT?
Image courtesy NBC.
If it was on ANY other channel it would have been a hit. We can only hope someone else picks it up like Southland.
Very good show mismanaged by NBC. CBS would have made it a hit. Hope it’s able to carry on and grow somewhere else.
What a shame! I really enjoyed Bello’s Charater Jane. NBC has to let the public grow into a show instead of cancelling it if it does not become an overnight hit. I remember the X-files on Fox when it first began. There were not a whole lot of people watching until late into the year. The Nano second reflex has to end at NBC or they will never have any true hit shows.
This was a good show with a good female. And the final episode – which was never advertised as such, seemed to bring the entire cast together i.e. insight into their characters, what made them tick etc. I really HATE reality shows and am interested in adult shows that don’t have “CSI” in the name. Too bad NBC.
I loved this show and am very dissapointed it will not be reviewed.
Wow-Another well written show loses out. Too bad there are way too many people watching reality over intelligence. Love this show like I loved Friday Night Lights. Maybe it will be picked up by Cable- Please???
love this show…didn’t help that direct tv..took the station off air for a month….you a dolts at the network….no wonder you are lagging way behind cbs….
very interesting characters; maria bello ROCKED as the petite, no-nonsense detective. the only show i didn’t like was when they made fun of upstate ny..ticked me off! but the acting was always great! should have let quinn do more.. GREAT actor !
I loved the British show, what little of it I could see via DVD, and was skeptical of an American version…but I have come to love it. What a bummer. Guess that reveals my demographic, one about which the Networks don’t give rip.
This was a good show and I looked forward to it, but with no promotion it was doomed to failure. It was as good as Detroit 187 or Against the Wall which was also recently cancelled. Does all programming have to be teen aged or reality?? There are still a few of us out here that like good drama.
Prime Suspect is a great show with some good acting and interesting stories and characters. I guess those things aren’t what people want in a TV show any more.
It was almost forgone conclusion that NBC would shoot itself in the foot with this show. First they didn’t give it a consistent time slot which always shows a lack of support. But this show had a terrific cast portraying a strong female lead character but with great ensemble. They should have put it before or after L&O:SVU to capture or lead that audience. I hope TNT or USA pick it up and make it a US series (is a huge hit in UK). Maria Bello is so great in this role (but you can drop that boyfriend and that… Read more »
I rarely have time to watch tv but looked forward to this show. I really enjoyed it. Hope it comes back on a better time and channel.
I LOVE Prime Suspect!! No wonder this network in struggling, if they take their shows off the air without good promotion!!! Do disappointed!
No wonder it lost viewers….they had a one month hiatus! Who can follow TV’s schedule?? It was a good show, as good as Detyroit 187 which was cancelled last year. Does all programming have to be teen aged, werewolves, vampires and horror???
IT NO WONDER THTA CABLE COMPANIES RUN BETTER PROGRAMMING THAN NBC, CBS, OR ABC…FOX is doing better. Regular channels need to get their acts together and get up to date with reality, instead of flooding us with reality shows!